Russia begins supplying Sputnik V doses to rebel-held area despite Ukraine ban

Russia has begun supplying its Sputnik V Covid vaccine to the rebel-controlled region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine despite a ban by Kyiv.

Ukraine's government is planning to receive shipments of Western-made vaccines from February and has prohibited the use of Russia's Sputnik V.

Kyiv, however, has little control over Donetsk on its border with Russia, where conflict between Ukrainian troops and Moscow-backed separatist rebels has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.

Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, was quoted by the region's news agency DAN as saying vaccinations would soon begin thanks to Russian supplies. He said health workers and teachers were among those being vaccinated first and free of charge.

It was not clear which institution supplied the doses. On Saturday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the Sputnik vaccine abroad, said it did not supply the Donetsk or Luhansk breakaway regions.